Free NHL betting tips and game predictions

2022-23 NHL predictions: regular season and Stanley Cup preview

The Colorado Avalanche secured their third Stanley Cup title in the 2021-22 NHL season. They defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning by four games to two, with the latter looking at the possibility of winning a third consecutive trophy in the National Hockey League.

The 2022-23 NHL is contested among 32 teams divided into Eastern and Western Conferences, with each conference split into two divisions. The regular season has an 82-game scheme. The teams with the most points are proclaimed division champions, while the league’s overall leader gets the Presidents’ Trophy.

The Stanley Cup follows the NHL regular season with eight teams from the Western and Eastern Conferences qualifying for the playoffs. Each faces its opponent in a seven-game series, and the first team to win four games advances to the next round. Finally, the Eastern and Western Conference winners meet in the Stanley Cup finals!

On Takebet South Africa, we offer preseason, season, and NHL playoffs predictions for the Stanley Cup. Also, we publish free NHL tips for betting on future outrights, such as the Stanley Cup winner, the Presidents’ Trophy, each division and conference, the MVP, and more.

Below is a list of teams participating in the 2022-23 NHL by conference and division!

NHL Eastern Conference teams in the Atlantic Division:

• Boston Bruins
• Buffalo Sabres
• Detroit Red Wings
• Florida Panthers
• Montreal Canadiens
• Ottawa Senators
• Tampa Bay Lightning
• Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL Eastern Conference teams in the Metropolitan Division:

• Carolina Hurricanes
• Columbus Blue Jackets
• New Jersey Devils
• New York Islanders
• New York Rangers
• Philadelphia Flyers
• Pittsburgh Penguins
• Washington Capitals

NHL Western Conference teams in the Pacific Division:

• Anaheim Ducks
• Calgary Flames
• Edmonton Oilers
• Los Angeles Kings
• San Jose Sharks
• Seattle Kraken
• Vancouver Canucks
• Vegas Golden Knights

NHL Western Conference teams in the Central Division:

• Arizona Coyotes
• Chicago Blackhawks
• Colorado Avalanche
• Dallas Stars
• Minnesota Wild
• Nashville Predators
• St. Louis Blues
• Winnipeg Jets

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche won the 2022 Stanley Cup to make it their third trophy overall and second this century. The Avalanche also finished top of the Central Division and the Western Conference to secure their eleventh division championship and third conference victory. The Avs won 56 out of 82 regular season games, with 46 wins in the regular time. Colorado got 119 points, ten clear of the St. Louis Blues in second place.

In the 2022 NHL playoffs, Colorado Avalanche won over Nashville (4-0), St. Louis (4-2), Edmonton (4-0) and, in the Stanley Cup finals, Tampa Bay (4-2).

Nathan MacKinnon has 242 goals and 406 assists in 638 appearances for Colorado in the regular season, alongside 41 goals and 52 assists in 70 playoff appearances for the Avalanche just before the 2022-23 NHL season. MacKinnon averaged 1.35 points per game during the previous regular season and 1.20 points per game in the 2021-22 NHL playoffs. Nathan is among the top 4 favourites for the 2022-23 Hart Memorial Trophy.

Other key players of the Colorado Avalanche apart from Nathan MacKinnon:

• Gabriel Landeskog
• J. T. Compher
• Bowen Byram
• Cale Makar
• Mikko Rantanen

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs finished the 2021-22 NHL regular season second in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference with 115 points and 54 wins in 82 matches, with 45 victories coming in the regular time. Their last division championship came in the 2020-21 season, and they were eight points short of winning it again. Instead, the Florida Panthers took the final lead in the division.

The Maple Leafs took part in the 2022 Stanley Cup and lost to the future finalists and the then-defending champions, Tampa Bay, in seven games.

Auston Matthews is essential for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matthews became the first player of the Maple Leafs to win the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy after scoring the most goals during the regular season (41). In the 2021-22 NHL, the American international scored 60 goals, provided 46 assists, and got 106 points in 76 regular season matches. In the subsequent playoffs, Auston scored four times, did five assists, and earned nine points in seven games.

Other key players of the Toronto Maple Leafs apart from Auston Matthews:

• William Nylander
• John Tavares
• Mitch Marner
• Michael Bunting
• Morgan Rielly

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers won the Atlantic Division in the 2021-22 NHL season. The Panthers got 122 points from 58 victories (42 in regular time), with 340 goals for and 246 against, a goal difference of +94. In the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, Florida topped the Washington Capitals (4-2) but lost 0-4 to Tampa Bay.

Aleksander Barkov is the captain of the Florida Panthers and their star. Barkov was nominated for the Selke Trophy for two consecutive seasons. He brought 88 points (39 goals + 49 assists) to Florida in the 2021-22 NHL regular season while scoring two goals with five assists in 10 playoff matches.

Other key players of the Florida Panthers apart from Aleksander Barkov:

• Aaron Ekblad
• Patric Hornqvist
• Sergey Bobrovsky

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning lost the 2021-22 Stanley Cup finals as the two-time defending champions, overcome by the Colorado Avalanche (2-4). The Bolts finished third in the Atlantic Division (110 points). Tampa won 51 games (39 in regular time), scoring 287 goals and conceding 233 goals — a difference of +54.

In the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, Tampa Bay beat Toronto (4-3), Florida (4-0) and New York Rangers (4-2) before losing in the finals.

Nikita Kucherov has scored 246 goals and 370 assists in 562 games for the Lightning in the NHL regular seasons. The Russian international missed the 2020-21 regular season due to injury but played the playoffs and was exceptional as he led the team to consecutive titles. The 2021-22 NHL season was also successful for Nikita, with 69 points (25 goals + 44 assists) won in the regular season and 27 points (9 goals + 19 assists) in the playoffs.

Other key players of the Tampa Bay Lightning apart from Nikita Kucherov:

• Steven Stamkos
• Alex Killorn
• Victor Hedman
• Brayden Point
• Anthony Cirelli

Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes were top of the Metropolitan Division in the 2021-22 NHL regular season for the second time. They got 116 points from 54 wins (47 in the regular time), with 278 goals scored and 202 conceded. In the subsequent 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, Carolina won 4-3 over the Boston Bruins but then lost the second round with the same score to NY Rangers.

Sebastian Aho provided the Hurricanes with 81 points, scoring 37 goals and assisting 44 times in 79 games played during the 2021-22 NHL regular season. In the subsequent playoffs, Aho scored four goals and assisted seven times to win 11 points in all 14 matches played by Carolina in the 2022 Stanley Cup.

Other key players of the Carolina Hurricanes apart from Sebastian Aho:

• Frederik Andersen
• Jordan Staal
• Jaccob Slavin
• Jordan Martinook

Betting odds of 2022-23 NHL

There is a clear favourite, the defending champions Colorado Avalanche, and another four teams with their chances to win the 2023 Stanley Cup standing out, according to the NHL betting predictions from experts.

The 2023 Stanley Cup winner betting odds:

• Colorado Avalanche — 5.25 (+425 American; 17/4 Fractional)
• Toronto Maple Leafs — 9.00 (+800; 8/1)
• Florida Panthers — 10.00 (+900; 9/1)
• Tampa Bay Lightning — 11.00 (+1000; 10/1)
• Carolina Hurricanes — 12.00 (+1100; 11/1)
• Calgary Flames — 16.00 (+1500; 15/1)
• Edmonton Oilers — 17.00 (+1600; 16/1)
• Vegas Golden Nights — 18.00 (+1700; 17/1)
• New York Rangers — 19.00 (+1800; 18/1)
• Minnesota Wild — 21.00 (+2000; 20/1)

The league grants the Presidents’ Trophy to the team with the most points in the National Hockey League regular season. The NHL standings predictions of bookmakers are slightly different here compared to the Stanley Cup odds. The Colorado Avalanche are preliminary favourites to lift the trophy, with three under their belt already.

The 2023 Presidents’ Trophy winner betting odds:

• Colorado Avalanche — 3.80 (+280 American; 14/5 Fractional)
• Toronto Maple Leafs — 7.50 (+650; 13/2)
• Carolina Hurricanes — 9.00 (+800; 8/1)
• Florida Panthers — 10.00 (+900; 9/1)
• Tampa Bay Lightning — 11.00 (+1000; 10/1)

The Hart Memorial Trophy ones are among the most anticipated betting tips regarding our NHL season predictions. This NHL award is given to the most valuable player of the season. Wayne Gretzky has won the Hart Memorial Trophy nine times: eight while playing for the Edmonton Oilers and one for the Los Angeles Kings. Gordie Howe won the award six times for the Detroit Red Wings.

Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers has two Hart Memorial trophies under his belt and is the preliminary favourite for the 2022-23 NHL season.

The 2023 Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP) winner betting odds:

• Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) — 4.00 (+300 American; 3/1 Fractional)
• Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) — 6.00 (+500; 5/1)
• Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton Oilers) — 9.00 (+800; 8/1)
• Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) — 10.50 (+950; 19/2)
• Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild) — 15.00 (+1400; 14/1)

Our NHL coverage

Alongside influential fixtures, our NHL game predictions include clashes of the top league franchises and matches with valuable bets. NHL Stanley Cup predictions follow up regular season tips: playoffs are always covered heavily on Takebet South Africa.

Our free NHL betting tips include both single and accumulator wagers: analysts derive them from an in-depth analysis of numerous betting options, more and less popular.

Betting markets and odds of NHL tips and predictions

We go through all betting markets offered by bookmakers before we settle for any NHL bet predictions. Here are some of the betting markets we research for our betting tips:

• 1×2 (regular time) and money line
• Over/under total
• Correct score
• Picks against the spread
• Goalscorers

The odds for single picks usually span from 1.50 (-200 American; 1/2 Fractional) to 3.00 (+200; 2/1). NHL accumulator tips typically have their odds around 10.00 (+900; 9/1).

NHL score predictions

For our betting tips, NHL experts often pick correct scores. Mostly, these NHL scoring predictions forecast the final score of the regular time, the score of a particular period, the score of the regular time plus overtime, the score difference, the highest scoring period, and such. Of course, one will also find point predictions among our NHL bet tips.

NHL over/under predictions

Over/under goal totals go hand in hand with money line bets as the most popular selections. Good thing such bets are in abundance on Takebet South Africa!

The over/under predictions for the NHL are bets on the match goal total, the period goal total, and the individual total of a particular team. We undoubtedly feature over and under tips among our NHL hockey predictions for the Stanley Cup playoffs!

NHL playoff predictions (2023)

When the regular season of the National Hockey League is over, the time for NHL playoff predictions by experts comes. 18 teams take part in this stage, consisting of four phases:

• First Round
• Second Round
• Conference Finals
• Stanley Cup Finals

So, our NHL finals predictions support you all the way! On this path, we post betting tips on all playoff series and most matches, choosing the decisive ones for our articles.

How experts analyse NHL for betting tips

Our analysis rests on a few pillars regarding our free NHL predictions. First, come ice hockey statistics and betting odds. We go far and beyond to research stats and compare the probability of events as we see it with the implied probability in the sportsbook odds to spot real value. Of course, our picks rely upon statistical trends, too.

The following are some of the hockey stats we explore for NHL betting tips:

• Results in regulation time and overtime
• Shootout records
• Streaks of form
• Goals scored and conceded
• Shots for and against
• Assists
• Power play and shorthanded percentages
• Saves
• Penalty stats
• Shutouts
• Expected goals (xG)

Other data helps us select bets, too: the latest news on the squads and their key players, knowledge of where the money goes in betting, watching actual games, and such.

More predictions for ice hockey

NHL game predictions are just some of our ice hockey betting tips. In addition, Takebet South Africa covers international hockey tournaments.

Some other ice hockey tournaments with betting picks:

• Winter Olympic ice hockey tournament
• IIHF Ice Hockey World Cup

Bet on our top NHL hockey tips and take a shot at hitting the jackpot!